Vehicle breath input unit

ABSTRACT

A breath input unit for a vehicle having both an A pillar and breath testing means is disclosed. The unit includes an elongated member defining a breath passageway through which breath may be blown. One end of the member is mounted at the upper part of the A pillar. The member is arcuately movable so that its other (breath input) end can move from a storage position adjacent the lower part of the A pillar to a use position away from the A pillar.

Unite States Patent 11 1 1111 3,796,219

Hoeg Mar. 12, 1974 1 VEHICLE BREATH INPUT UNIT 2,989,960 6/1961 Hay285/273 x l 2 1751 Invent Donald Hoeg, Prospect, fiii'i? 5113;; 31222???128???? [73] Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 173,987 2/1953 Austria 285/273 [22] Filed: May 8, 1972[21] Appl. No: 251,207 Primary ExaminrKyle L. Howell Attorney, Agent, orFirmDonald W. Banner [52] U.S. C1 128/2 C, 73/4215 R, 180/82,

340/279 [57] ABSTRACT [51] lnti CLf. A bmath input unit for a Vehiclehaving both an A [58] he d 222 37 8 lar and breath testing means isdisclosed. The unit in- 73 5 cludes an elongated member defining abreath passageway through which breath may be blown. One end of themember is mounted at the upper part of the A [56] References Citedpillar. The member is arcuately movable so that its UNITED STATESPATENTS other (breath input) end can move from a storage po- 2,319,0685/1943 Krone et a1. 285/274 sition adia gept the lower pa rt of the Apillar to a use 2,498,915 2/1950 Espegren 285/274 position away from theA pillar. 2,820,651 l/l958 Phillips 285/273 X 1,870,036 8/1932 Bruce etal. 285/274 X 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures VEHICLE BREATH INPUT UNITFIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toward animproved breath input unit for use with a breath tester in a motorvehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present invention is animprovement on the breath input unit described and claimed in co-pendingapplication for U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 187,724 entitled BREATH INPUT UNITFOR VEHICLE BREATH TESTING SYSTEM filed Oct. 8, 1971 in the names of S.Shiber and J. Hoppesch and assigned to the same assignee as the presentspecification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference may be had to the above identifiedapplication for the general background of this invention. The particularunit described, for example, in FIG. 1 thereof functioned entirelyadequately. However, under some circumstances it was possible toinadvertently have foreign matter, especially fluids enter, into thebreath analyzing mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an input unitthat overcomes this drawback by including an elongated breath passagemember, mounted along the A pillarwith its input end down and itsrelatively fixed end up. This arrangement has the advantage of providingan upward" flow barrier to liquids and the like while yet providing alow barrier to breath.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention,together with the further advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like referencenumerals identify like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of aportion of a vehicle equipped with breath testing means and an inputunit, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The unit isshown in its use position and with its storage position shown in phantomlines.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion (the pivot) of the unit of FIG.1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle of the commonpassenger automobile type is depicted which includes breath analyzingmeans within its control console 12. Means such as those disclosed inU.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 136,921, filed Apr. 23, 1971 entitledVE- HICLE BREATH TESTING SYSTEM in the names of D. Collier, .I. Hoppeschand A. Mamo and assigned to the same assignee as the present inventionmay be employed.

An input unit constructed in accordance with the present invention andgenerally, designated 15, is mounted on the vehicle generally along theA pillar 16. The input unit includes an elongated member 17 throughwhich a breath passageway is defined from an input end 19, into which auser (such as the man 20 depicted) may blow. The breath is propelled upthe member 17 through a pivot 21 to a second elongated member 23 andinto the breath testing means of console 12.

The pivot 21 may, as shown in FIG. 2, comprise a pair of hollow discs121 and 221 coupled to the passageways 17F and 23F of the elongatedmembers 17 and 23. Between the disc is a hollow spool 321 serving bothto define a breath passage between the discs and as an axle for therelative pivoting of the discs 121 and 221. To aid in sealing the movingsurfaces of the spool and disc, a coil spring 421 is provided. Thespring 421 serves to bias the discs apart and against the flanges of thespool 321. The ends 421A and 421B of the spring 421 are secured to thediscs 221 and 121 and the spring also serves to urge and hold member 17toward its rest or storage position 17' shown in phantom lines in FIG.

The member 17 and 23 are preferably formed unitarily with the discs 121and 221 (which serve as their upper ends) and are preferably formed of arelatively rigid plastic material. The hollow portions may (as was thecase in the aforementioned Shiber et at. invention), serve to alsoreceive wires and/or heater coils and/or spring members.

The member 23 is preferably rigid to define a relatively fixed positionfor the pivot 21, however, it could be made flexible and biased to allowfor, during use, the pivot to be moved away from the A pillar withoutdeparting from at least the broader aspects of the invention. Similarlyother constructions may be used for the pivot 21. The member 23 could beshorted (e.g. by putting the testing means at the top of the A pillar)and other variations made without departing from at least the broaderaspects of the present invention.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made without departing from the invention inits broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is tocover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a vehicle having an A pillar;

breath testing means; and

a breath input unit comprising:

an elongated member defining a breath passageway through which breathmay be blown,

said member having an input end and an other end,

said member being mounted in said vehicle with said other end adjacentto the upper part of said A pillar, I

said member being'movable so that its input end may arcuately move froma storage position adjacent the lower portion of the A pillar to a useposition away from the A pillar,

whereby a barrier to liquid contaminates is provided by the upwardbreath flow path.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

a second elongated member for the passage of breath is provided betweenthe one end and the breath testing means, said second member also beingpositioned along the A pillar.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said firstmentioned elongated memberand said second member are jointed together by a hollow pivot whichallows breath to flow from said first member to said second member.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein means for resiliently urging thefirst elongated member toward the storage position are provided.

1. The combination of a vehicle having an ''''A'''' pillar; breathtesting means; and a breath input unit comprising: an elongated memberdefining a breath passageway through which breath may be blown, saidmember having an input end and an other end, said member being mountedin said vehicle with said other end adjacent to the upper part of said''''A'''' pillar, said member being movable so that its input end mayarcuately move from a storage position adjacent the lower portion of the''''A'''' pillar to a use position away from the ''''A'''' pillar,whereby a barrier to liquid contaminates is provided by the upwardbreath flow path.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein: a secondelongated member for the passage of breath is provided between the oneend and the breath testing means, said second member also beingpositioned along the A pillar.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein saidfirst-mentioned elongated member and said second member are jointedtogether by a hollow pivot which allows breath to flow from said firstmember to said second member.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein meansfor resiliently urging the first elongated member toward the storageposition are provided.